Macquillage
by ESpencer
Summary: "Fine, if you refuse to succumb to my assurances, then you leave me no other choice." Sarah paled. "What are you doing?" she yelped, as he reached under her arms and lifted her up. "Let's call it proving a point."... Sarah is struggling with applying her makeup. Who better to help her than the Goblin King? Oneshot. Established S/J.


The Goblin King knew better than to intrude on his queen when she was preparing for a formal event. It was a long-standing rule between them. She had told him time and time again that she needed time to prep herself, and that required her complete focus. And she had made it perfectly clear that she considered him to be the most dastardly form of distraction possible; a sentiment that made him grin from ear to ear. But, still, he had seen the reasoning behind the request and conceded to allow her some solitude.

Thus, he knew that, under no circumstances, was he to force his way into their shared bathroom and demand to know what was taking so long. He knew this, but a dangerous combination of impatience and morbid curiosity had brought him press his ear to the door to listen.

What he heard within made him frown. Drawers were being pulled open and shut again with far too much force, the sink dripped continuously, and he could just make out that she was grumbling to herself. He tried to discern her words, but the door was too thick.

Jareth sighed. An interesting choice lay before him. If he were wise, he would walk away and leave his little darling to her struggles. It was what he had always done before, and she had always managed to present herself in a timely fashion. However, he sensed tonight was different. She had been dropping subtle hints all week that she was less than pleased at the prospect of tonight's festivities, and he had done his best to assure her that she would not be disappointed.

But still she had shown her distaste, and he was not so dense that he did not recognize it for what it was: a clever mask designed to distract from the fact that she was nervous. Why she felt that way, Jareth could not guess, and she was less than inclined to share her reasoning with him. Her behavior both frustrated and worried him. What was it that she was so intent on keeping from him? It was maddening trying to figure her out.

When he was nearly deafened by the sound of a crystal being smashed against the door, his curiosity one out. He opened the door, carefully avoiding the broken shards that littered the floor. Her fierce green eyes were on him in an instant, scorching him with misdirected fury.

"What are you doing here? Get out," she snapped, pointing firmly at the door.

"Sarah, pet, I could not help but notice you seem to be a bit…stressed," he replied, keeping his tone light and teasing so that she would have fewer reasons to aim one of her remaining crystals at his head.

"Whatever gave you that impression?" she huffed, turning back to the mirror in exasperation.

"Intuition," he grinned, not bothering to disguise his cheekiness.

She rounded on him then, her eyes darkening to show her displeasure. "And what made you think that you could interrupt? I thought we had a deal. You promised I'd have all the time I needed to get ready, Mr. I-can-reorder-time-with-a-wave-of-my-fingers. Or did you-"

"Stop!" Jareth interrupted her rant. She had started to approach him, her bare feet coming precariously close to the sharp bits of crystal.

Sarah paused mid-step, drawing her foot back from the danger. The interruption seemed to cause her to reconsider her words, for which Jareth was secretly grateful. He had been on the receiving end of an enraged Goblin Queen enough times to know better than to purposely engage her.

"I suppose it doesn't matter that you're here," she sighed, "Because I'm not going."

Jareth quirked an eyebrow at her. "That is going to be difficult to explain to the guests, love. Especially considering this party is for _you_."

"Yeah, well since it's _my birthday._ I should be able to call the shots."

She turned away from him then, seeming to draw in on herself. Jareth frowned deeply at her reaction. What could possibly be bothering her? He'd thrown a birthday ball for her every year since she had taken up permanent residence in the Underground. It was always the event of the season. Courtiers came from all across the land to experience the excessive splendor. And what was more, they all loved Sarah. She was showered with affection and gifts from an adoring public. There was no reason for such stubbornness.

"Sarah, we _will_ be attending this party. All of the Underground is waiting for you to arrive on my arm. It would be rude to disappoint."

"Screw being rude. I'm not going." She crossed her arms in finality, refusing to look at him.

Jareth approached her, gently taking her by the elbow. "Is there a particular reason why you're so against making an appearance tonight?"

Sarah glance up at him a few times, biting her lip in thought. It wasn't that she didn't have an answer for his question. In fact, she knew exactly what was holding her back from enjoying her party to the fullest. But to tell him…It would be too great an insult to her pride.

"There might be," she said noncommittally.

"_Sarah_," he growled, squeezing her arm a bit more firmly.

Sarah jerked away from him, not liking the way he was trying to intimidate her into answering. She would tell him if and when she wanted to, and not before.

"I will wrangle it out of you, precious," he said, moving forward to whisper hotly into her ear.

"Fine," she snapped, liking his seductive ploys even less.

"I'm waiting," he said as she struggled with how best to go about this.

"Just…_look_ at me."

He blinked once, twice, failing to comprehend. "I am looking at you."

"_And_…?" she coaxed him.

"You're beautiful," he replied automatically.

Sarah sighed. He had responded just as she expected her would. He had never been shy about expressing—in all manner of ways—just how visually appealing he found her. But it did little to curb the way she was feeling now.

"No, _you're_ beautiful. Your face is perfect, and your clothes are perfect, and your hair is perfectly imperfect—for goodness' sake, Jareth! Even your makeup is better than mine."

Jareth just stared at her for several seconds, her revelation washing over him. Then he laughed, full and wholeheartedly. "Is that what you're so worried about, precious? That I'll outshine you?"

"It's not funny," she grumbled back.

"Yes, it is. It is frightfully funny that you could entertain for even a moment that my beauty could eclipse yours." He moved closer, then, his joking manner dissolving entirely. "You, Sarah Williams, are the most beautiful creature to ever set foot in this labyrinth."

Sarah's eyes widened for a moment when he lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers, but when she felt the tenderness with which he lavished her, she sank into him. This was right. Here she felt safe, and loves, and, yes, beautiful. Which was exactly what he intended.

She broke away from him to catch her breath. "I think you're trying to distract me, Your Majesty," she teased lightly.

"Why? Is it working?" he purred in response, attempting to reconnect their mouths.

Sarah turned her head away. "Silver tongued bastard," she huffed, having none of it.

He growled low in his throat. "Fine, if you refuse to succumb to my assurances, then you leave me no other choice." Sarah paled.

"What are you doing?" she yelped, as he reached under her arms and lifted her up.

"Let's call it proving a point." With that he sat her firmly on the counter between their two sinks, and began rummaging through the drawers. Finding what he was looking for, he began opening various tubes and jars, ordering them on the free counter space.

Sarah eyed them suspiciously. "You can't be serious."

Jareth grinned in response. "Quite serious, pet. Now close your eyes."

Half deciding to humor him, and half interested to see the results, Sarah obliged. As soon as her eyes had shut, she felt an impossibly soft brush begin to swirl over her lids. Sarah had never been overly fond of makeup, largely due to her inability to apply it, but the feeling the little brush sent pulsing through her was oddly soothing. And, to her dismay, Jareth had a very steady hand.

"I always imagined you used magic for this," she admitted.

"Unfortunately my magic is rather incapable of correctly blending shades. A travesty, I know, but it forced me to learn on my own." He set down the brush and began lining her eyes with a thin piece of kohl.

"And here I thought you were useless without all your glitter and crystals," she kidded. Jareth nipped her lower lip with his teeth as a punishment.

"There are _multitudes_ of things I can accomplish sans glitter or crystals. Now look up." Sarah did as he bid, allowing him to roll a mascara wand through her dark lashes.

When he had finished with that, he moved on to highlighting and contouring her face. Taking advantage of his preoccupied state, Sarah took the chance to stare at him without fear of getting caught. The focus on his face as he drew out her features seemed to enhance his own beauty. She smiled at the way his lips pursed in concentration, and how his mismatched eyes squinted slightly to ensure that each stroke he made was perfect.

Jareth turned to her lips next and noticed that she was smiling. "And what is it you find so amusing, my love?"

"Oh, nothing," she mused, "I just think you're quite adorable."

His face soured at that, upper lip curling in distaste. "I am the Goblin King. I am not adorable."

"Whatever you say, Your Majesty."

Jareth finished coloring her lips hastily after that, careful to keep his face blank and decidedly un-adorable. "There," he said when he was done, helping her down from the counter.

"Should I be afraid to look?"

"Oh most certainly," he gibed, "I've transformed you into something not even a goblin could love." Smirking faintly, Sarah turned to face the mirror.

It took her a moment to reconcile that the face staring back at her was her own, but when she did, she gasped. She looked as though she had been carved from most flawless porcelain, every plane of her face accented to perfection. Cheekbones high and angular, just the right amount of blush to brighten the apples of her cheeks. Her lips had been painted burgundy, a darkly romantic stain on her otherwise pale face. Sarah was in awe over that alone, but what really caught her breath were her eyes.

Winged outwards in various shades of copper, and rust, and burnt brown, the shadows set her green eyes ablaze like a magnificent forest fire. Her lashes curled into infinity, making her eyes flash when she glanced in any direction. And it just so happened that her smoldering gaze landed on a very proud looking Goblin King.

Sarah smiled, gazing at the two of them standing there in the mirror. They made a striking picture, she had to admit. Maybe even perfect. The King and Queen of Goblins, great, and terrible, and cruel in their beauty.

"I look good," she announced.

"You do."

"Thanks to you."

"No thanks to me. You have been and always will be beautiful. With or without something as trivial as makeup."

"I'll try to remember that for next time." With that she stretched up to give him a kiss that was just unchaste enough to leave him gasping for more. "But for now, we have a party to get to."

Sarah slipped from the room, leaving a rather riled Goblin King to smirk at her retreat. "As My Lady commands," he sighed, and followed after her to celebrate the day of her birth.

**A/N: **The ending pretty much sucked, I know, but I'm overall pretty proud of this piece. It's my first for Labyrinth so let me know what you think!


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